Tuesday, 21 October 2008

Daimler is launching a new mobility concept, providing a future-oriented answer to increasing traffic volume in urban areas. The scheme, known as car2go, will allow people to rent a smart anywhere and anytime, at a moment's notice, with all costs going to a pre-registered credit card or monthly bill. Users will be charged by the minute, and can leave their car anywhere within the city limits for the next customer.
On 24 October 2008 the first pilot phase will start in the southern German city of Ulm, where car2go will be tested in real-life conditions. “car2go is an intelligent and creative solution that provides a simple, flexible and value-for-money approach to mobility with environmentally-friendly vehicles” is how Dr Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, describes the objective of the project. Although there are good intentions in car2go and it would provide a convenient solution for some, will motorists ever be able to sacrifice having their own personal vehicle?